Not So Predictable
by hummerhouse
Summary: Raph's appreciation for his younger brother is growing. Rated for mild TCest. Raph/Mikey


Not So Predictable

Raph waited in a dark alley, carapace against the wall, his arms crossed over his plastron and one knee bent so that his foot rested on the bricks behind him.

The human clothes he'd worn were in a bundle on the ground next to his other foot. Raph had removed them while he waited on Mikey, who he'd thought was only leaving long enough to relieve himself.

That had been fifteen minutes ago and Raph's impatience was turning into concern. The pair had been visiting a small street carnival together, partly for the fun and partly to make sure that the local hoods didn't spoil everyone else's enjoyment.

Their quiet interference had succeeded in chasing away two different gangs from the carnival. It was actually Mikey's sense of humor and his talent for doing the unexpected that had made the task unobtrusive enough so that no one else was disturbed.

Not that Mikey didn't have a flair for the dramatic; he thoroughly thrilled in being the center of attention. However, his intense devotion to being a defender of the weak and an upholder of the law gave him the focus that was necessary for those times when it was best to go unnoticed.

More and more Raphael had found himself desirous of Michelangelo's company above all others, even his best friend Casey Jones. Even though Mikey had tendencies that could provoke the shell out of his older brother he also had characteristics that appealed to Raph.

Not only was Mikey an excellent fighter, he also managed to make every physical task look easy. Where Raph was morose tending towards pessimism, Mikey was upbeat and optimistic.

Mike was damn easy on the eyes too. Raph grimaced, lowering his foot to the ground and lifting the other to the wall. He'd been having a lot of those kinds of thoughts lately, some quite a bit less banal than simply noticing his brother's good looks.

Just when he was about to go in search of his kid brother, he heard Mikey sing out, "I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream."

Mikey appeared from around the corner, a plastic bowl of ice cream in each hand. Raph pushed off from the wall and glared at him.

"Ya' went for ice cream? I was standing here thinking someone had jumped your shell," Raph scolded.

"Sorry," Mikey said, not actually sounding as though he was. "I heard some people talking about ice cream while I was emptying my bladder and got a craving for some. I even washed my hands."

"That better not mean ya' touched my ice cream," Raph said, accepting the bowl Mikey offered him. "Chocolate?"

"Yep," Mikey said, digging a spoon into his double banana split with caramel and almonds. "Your favorite."

Raph eyed the extravagant concoction that Mikey had gotten for himself and then the twin mounds of chocolate goodness in his own bowl. It was topped off with whipped cream and a cherry, but appeared bland in comparison to the treat Mikey was guzzling with ill-concealed delight.

"Ya' could have asked me what I wanted," Raph grumbled, though he scooped a large helping of ice cream into his mouth.

"Why?" Mikey asked, his mouth full. Swallowing he added, "You always order the same thing dude. You're predictable."

Raph thought about that as he finished off the sweet treat. His brothers did seem to know him pretty well, not just his favorite foods, but how he'd react in certain situations. The only one of them who was truly unpredictable was Mikey. That was part of his allure.

Shaking his head to erase where his mind was headed, Raph tossed his empty bowl and spoon into the nearby dumpster where Mikey had deposited his a couple of seconds earlier. Reaching down, Raph picked up his bundle of clothes and watched as Mikey divested himself of the bulky garments he was wearing.

"Ya' wanna do this again tomorrow night?" Raph asked, trying to sound nonchalant. Tonight had been fun, mostly because he'd been with Mikey, but he didn't want to let his brother know that.

"Sure," Mikey answered, wadding his clothes into a manageable clump. The sudden grin he flashed made Raph's breath catch in his throat. "Maybe the gangs will stay away so we can jump on some rides."

"Ya' want me ta win ya' a teddy bear at one of them games too?" Raph teased as they leaped down into the sewer tunnels and started their trek home.

"Can I name it Raphie?" Mikey countered, his blue eyes twinkling with good humor.

"Only if ya' want me ta pull the stuffing out of it," Raph responded gruffly and then realized that Mikey had answered with the exact same words right along with him.

"What the shell?" Raph asked, stopping to stare at his brother.

"I knew you'd say that," Mikey told him, the tone of his voice holding a challenge. "See, that's the point I was trying to make. I for one will try anything but you're predictable."

Mikey turned back towards the lair but before he could take more than two steps, Raph grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. At almost the same time he shoved against Mikey so he could slam his brother against the tunnel wall before roughly kissing him.

A few seconds passed before Mikey managed to push Raph away. "Hey!" he yelped, eyes wide with surprise.

Raph would have been mortified if not for the fact that Mikey had started to respond, even flicking his tongue out to touch his aggressor's. With a cocky grin, Raph asked, "What? You said you'd try anything."

"I was talking about stuff like, you know, flavors of ice cream. Not you kissing me!" Mikey exclaimed, though he didn't try to move away.

Searching his brother's eyes, Raph asked, "Did ya' like it?"

"I don't know," Mikey said, sounding a little exasperated. "It happened just a little too fast, you big meathead."

Raph stepped in closer, the corners of his mouth upturned in a complacent smile. "Ya' wanna try again, maybe in slow motion this time?"

Mikey's eyes narrowed, then widened as he looked at Raph's mouth. Lifting his gaze to meet his brother's golden orbs, Mikey licked his lips and said, "Why not? I've always liked new experiences."

"I'm sure glad that one of us ain't so predictable," Raph whispered before capturing his brother's mouth again.


End file.
